Just brought myself a 1998 fiesta 1.4 and found it has quite a loud knocking, particularly noticeable when I go over a bump in the road. Any ideas? I've checked wheel bearings and they seem fine. The knocking is almost certainly coming from the front of the car. Thanks for your help!

No ideas yet? I jacked it up and removed the front wheels today to see if there was anything obviously loose and there isn't which is vaguely reassuring. I'll take it to the garage next week and see if they have any ideas, hopefully something I can fix myself.

Youn can find out if its the ball joint or barings by holding the wheel wile it is off the ground at the sides and give it a shake (pull one side, push other at same time back and forth quickly so give it a rattle sort of thing) and check wheel bearings by doing the same but doing it from the top and bottom of the wheel to check for play/noise. I think it is that way around if not vias versa.

I know one person who had this simular problem when i first started learning mechanics but it done it under braking also so he took it to the garage just to find out the wheel nuts wasn't tightend properly so it was slightly loose and rattled.
If taking your wheels off try and get the torqued up to correct tightness. Mine are 90nm on my 1.3 fiesta 1996 with steel wheels. Alloys will be different, yours may be a little higher or the same. Any garage should know this with using auto data

A lot of people use WD40 but I tend to use GT-85 myself as that is what we used when learning mechanics in college. Great for cleanig and giving dash and trims etc a nice shine if left on to dry